Kerala was the first state in India to report a coronavirus case in late January, the number of new cases in the first week of May dropped 30 percent from the previous week. With just three deaths, 96 percent of positive patients have recovered in the state, higher than elsewhere in India, elsewhere in the whole world.
The success in Kerala could prove instructive for the Indian government, which has largely shut down the country to stop the spread of the contagion but continues to see the curve trend upward, with more than 63,000 confirmed cases and more than 2,100 deaths (as on 10/5/20). Its challenges are plenty — from high population density to poor health care facilities — but experts say Kerala’s proactive measures like early detection and broad social support measures could serve as a model for the rest of the country. In Kerala more than 30,000 health workers are working extended hours to contain the spread of corona virus, known as COVID-19 with the help of local, district and state administration. Other efforts include aggressive testing, intense contact tracing, instituting a longer quarantine, building thousands of shelters for migrant workers stranded by the sudden nationwide shutdown and distributing millions of cooked meals to those in need. The measures appear to be paying off. Kerala’s approach was effective because it was strict and humane. The active and strong leadership of Chief Minister Sri.Pinarayi Vijayan helped the state to win the fight against the pandemic. He announced complete lock down of the state even one day before the Central Government announced it across India. And he also make sure that, the people of his state get adequate supply of materials for their needs. From April 20 onwaqrds half of the districts are back to normal and on april 24 another 3 more districts. The lock down conytinues till May 3 in rest of the 4 districts. Henk Bekedam, the World Health Organization’s representative in India, attributed Kerala’s “prompt response” to its past “experience and investment” in emergency preparedness and pointed to measures such as district monitoring, risk communication and community engagement. The state faced a potentially disastrous challenge: a disproportionately high number of foreign arrivals. Popular for its tranquil backwaters and health retreats, the coastal state receives more than 1 million foreign tourists a year. One-sixth of its 33 million citizens are expatriates, and hundreds of its students study in China. Screening at airports was tightened, and travelers from nine countries — including coronavirus hotspots such as Iran and South Korea — were required to quarantine at home starting on Feb. 10, two weeks before India put similar restrictions into place. In one instance, more than a dozen foreign nationals were removed from a flight before takeoff because they had not completed their isolation period. Temporary quarantine shelters were established to accommodate tourists and other nonresidents. The state took the lead in deploying rapid testing kits, which officials say they continue to use in hotspots to check community spread. This week, Kerala began walk-in testing facilities, which reduce the need for protective gears for health workers. Smt. K.K. Shailaja, the health minister, said six states had reached out to Kerala for advice. But it may not be easy to replicate Kerala’s lessons elsewhere in India. The state has invested heavily in public education and universal health care. Kerala has the highest literacy rate and benefits from the best-performing public health system in the country. It tops India’s rankings on neonatal mortality, birth immunizations and the availability of specialists at primary care facilities. No wonder country's top 12 primary health centers are from Kerala. Kerala is also set to become the first state in the country to begin convalescent plasma therapy – the use of antibodies from the blood of cured patients to treat those critically ill from COVID-19 on trial. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has given its nod to the state government for the project, initiated by the prestigious Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST). Kerala also announced an economic package worth $2.6 billion to fight the pandemic days before the central government instituted a harsh lockdown that left many states scrambling. It delivered uncooked lunches to schoolchildren, liaised with service providers to increase network capacity for Internet at homes and promised two months of advance pension. On this occasion let us salute the State government, officials, health workers, police department who collectively and successfully worked for our safety.